
Surgeons: At the Edge of Life — Season 7
The surgeons of NHS Lothian perform high-risk procedures for patients across Edinburgh and beyond, bearing the ultimate responsibility for transforming and saving lives.
About this season
The surgeons of NHS Lothian perform high-risk procedures for patients across Edinburgh and beyond, bearing the ultimate responsibility for transforming and saving lives.
Episodes (6)

1. A Lot to Lose
Aired 26 February 2025 • 58 min
Surgeons attempt a rare and high-risk transplant to transform their 21-year-old patient’s life, and perform a complex kidney procedure vital for another patient’s survival.

2. In the Balance
Aired 5 March 2025 • 59 min
Surgeons battle to save a patient with an aggressive tumour and a patient whose aorta – the body’s biggest artery – could rupture at any moment.

3. All or Nothing
Aired 12 March 2025 • 59 min
Surgeons at NHS Lothian take on high risk surgery to repair a failing heart and take extreme measures to prevent the return of breast cancer in their young patient.

4. Rebuild and Renew
Aired 19 March 2025 • 59 min
Surgeons attempt to save a patient’s life and her ability to smile, by removing a tumour in her cheek and reconstructing her facial nerve.
5. The Finest Margins
Aired 26 March 2025 • 59 min
Surgeons at NHS Lothian remove a recurring brain tumour from a 25-year-old patient and attempt a rare ‘off pump’ cardiac procedure on a man with severe coronary disease.
6. Nothing Left to Chance
Aired 2 April 2025 • 58 min
Doctors at NHS Lothian perform high-risk surgery to save their patient’s sight, and three specialists work together to treat a complex case of advanced ovarian cancer.